The one I have is from Free Period Press, and it’s full of fun, motivational phrases to keep me inspired. And personally, I find that concentrating on the colors and staying within the lines is a great way to recharge and take a 30-minute mental vacation.

I might even try to find a cool frame to hang my favorite pages at home or in my office. (Because they’re way more fun than the usual motivation office poster, right?)

I don’t know about you, but it’s so hard for me to throw away Christmas cards after the holidays are over.

Dear friends and family from all over the country have spent time and money to mail me a beautiful card, and it just seems sad to throw them right into the recycling bin when I take down the Christmas tree.

A few years ago, when I was getting Valentine’s decorations up, I noticed the stack of cards still sitting on top of my refrigerator and realized they’d be perfect for a Valentine project—not only are they colorful and printed on beautiful paper, but they feature the faces of the people I love most. Bingo! Read More »

This year for Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking outside the box, and I’m feeling inspired by nature.

I’m excited to try out some of these (mostly) easy valentine crafts with my kids, but I’m even more excited that they don’t involve candy. Because let’s be honest, they definitely don’t need another sweet treat after all of the holiday festivities and spending time at Grandma’s house!

I’ve rounded up some fun and creative ways to keep their little hands out of the candy jar, and busy being artistic.

P.S. these craft ideas are also a fun way to include dad and his power tools – family time win!

I remember, as a child, the dread I felt about having to write thank you cards.

It was SO much work, and I had no idea what to say after “Thank you for the doll.” Even the tiniest card seemed like it had infinite blank space to fill.

Now, as an adult, I recognize how meaningful and appreciated a thank you card can be, and I definitely want to encourage my children to get into the habit of sending them.

After my daughter’s birthday, I wanted to say thank you to everyone that brought a present, but a simple email seemed a little too impersonal—especially for a grandparent or aunt—so instead, I snapped a photo of my daughter with each of her gifts.

To make them extra festive, I had her wear a party hat—which she loved, and which I plan to make a tradition because it was just so darling.

Afterward, I picked my favorite photo, plugged it into one of the thank you cards on Creatacard, and asked my daughter to dictate a message for the inside. (There’s nothing as cute as a five-year-old explaining why she loves her new doll!) And depending on how wordy (or not wordy) your child is feeling, you can adjust the size of the type to be as big or small as you need it to be.

The best part is that the card gets printed and shipped directly the recipient. (I can’t be the only one who gets overwhelmed by hunting for a stamp and actually putting the card in the mailbox, right? Why is that so difficult?)

My daughter gets a little lesson in good manners, a grandparent or cousin gets a special one-of-a-kind card, and I d0n’t have to make an extra trip to the post office.

This month’s background was designed by Amy Huber. When she isn’t designing greeting cards for American Greetings, you’ll probably find her daydreaming about new places to travel, spinning at a cycling studio, or drinking local Cleveland beer with friends. After all, life’s about balance!

I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. I think you can decide to change anything, anytime you want throughout life, so instead, I like to think of each year as an opportunity to be THE year. To me, that’s a much more powerful notion than swearing off brownies or joining a gym.

In honor of the new year, I thought this print would be the perfect match to strike those little burning ideas you may have had for a while now. This could be the year you learn to tango, start a business, meet the one, or watch the entire series of Game of Thrones.

The sky is the limit, so grab 2016 by the horns, or wheel, or brush, or plane, or moped, and start those stories you’ll one day tell your grandkids.

This year, we’re celebrating New Year’s Eve with my sister and her family, and between the two of us, we have five children under the age of six. Obviously, our celebrations won’t include copious amounts of champagne.

This fun little DIY match game is tons of fun if you’re spending New Year’s Eve with kids. Just print out photos of your 2015 highlights and make a simple memory game that the whole family can play.

Not only is it a great group game, but it’s also a cute way to remember the best parts of the previous year—perfect as you count down to midnight (or nine, if you set your clocks so that it looks like it’s approaching midnight but you don’t want overtired kids the next morning).

When you’re done playing, you can hang the cards up as a fun display to remember the highlights of 2015. Then, put them away and save them for next year to add a 2016 set! Read More »

Here come’s Santa Claus–and boy, will he be impressed with these stocking ideas!

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is filling up stockings. The beauty of stocking stuffers is that they don’t have to be off someone’s list and they can go from $1 to $100–from Lip Smackers to Beats headphones. More importantly, they can be fun, quirky, sweet, one-of-a-kind, and just from you.

I’ve rounded up some of the best stocking ideas to help you find the perfect keepsakes, gifts, and gadgets to fill up those stockings.

Even though I live in Los Angeles, and winters here are a bit warmer (OK a lot warmer) than most of the rest of the country, the holiday season will always be the most wonderful time of year for me.

There are so many things I love about December: baking cookies, decorating the tree, Christmas music, and picking out the perfect gifts for family and friends. But mostly, I love the family traditions and the fun memories I have to look back on, and all the future memories I’ll continue to make with my family.

The gifts are fun to give and get, but the real joy of the season are the memories we make.